At Wednesday night’s climate crisis town hall with the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, a nurse from Brooklyn asked former San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro what his administration would do to address environmental racism.

The historic CNN Climate Town Hall on Wednesday night covered many topics: abortion, education, and—you know it—justice. In fact, topics around justice came up at least 18 times, according to an Earther analysis of town hall transcripts.

Julián Castro says his plan calls for new civil rights legislation to address environmental racism. “I know that too often times it’s people who are poor, communities of color, who take the brunt of storms that are getting more frequent and more powerful.” #ClimateTownHall https://t.co/0kK3mrBGqg

Climate change disproportionately impacts communities of color, indigenous people, and low-income Americans. To tackle our climate crisis, we must address the legacy of environmental racism and listen to those living on the front lines of climate change. https://t.co/AzTFxuBrsh

For too many, healthy air & water have become unattainable luxuries as a result of environmental injustice. We saw it in Flint, MI Lowndes County, AL Denmark, SC Unacceptable. My climate plan will ensure these communities aren’t left behind in our fight to stop climate change.

The climate crisis is an existential threat that demands bold action. My climate plan will take on powerful interests and build a clean economy, create millions of jobs, and guarantee every person’s right to breathe clean air and drink clean water. https://t.co/AH71W9cPJh

We need to act on climate now. My People & Planet First Plan: 🌱Gets the US to net zero by 2045 💵Creates 10 million quality jobs 🏭Prioritizes environmental justice 🛢Holds polluters accountable for their impact on communities READ: https://t.co/grFmzr8ns3

Right now, the climate crisis is already devastating our communities, our homes, and our families. Severe storms, deadly hurricanes, massive floods, extreme droughts, and wildfires are now a normal occurrence, destroying homes and businesses, and shrinking our economy. Toxic pollution is poisoning the water we drink and the air we breath. People are being forced … Continue reading "https://issues.juliancastro.com/climate-1/"